Niceflx opens ‘Window’

Comedy is based on Jonasson's bestseller

Sweden’s NiceflxPictures is making a feature version of Jonas Jonasson’s “The Centenarian Who Climbed Out the Window and Vanished,” which has already pre-sold to Concorde for Germany and Austria.

The deal was negotiated by Joni Sighvatsson for Niceflx and by Thomas Augsberger of Eden Rock Media for Concorde’s parent Tele Muenchen Group.

The comedy, exec produced by Sighvatsson, will be helmed and adapted by Felix Herngren, whose previous credits include “Every Other Week” and TV series “Solsidan.”

The €12 million ($15.8 million) pic is financed by Swedish equity money, Swedish broadcasters and tax credits. It starts shooting in Sweden and eastern Europe in December.

Swedish novel follows a man who celebrates his 100th birthday by climbing out the window of his retirement home to embark on a month-long trip through Sweden. His escape is complicated by trouble with the police and a local gang that wants its suitcase back, which he stole.

The book has sold more than 1 million copies in Sweden and is No. 1 in the German book charts, having sold more than 500,000 copies in less than four months. It has been picked up in 32 territories and is skedded to be published in Blighty and the U.S. in June.

Competition for film rights to the book was high before Niceflx secured them last year, with sources indicating that Working Title was vying for English-language rights.

Niceflx and and Sighvatsson have been shopping the project to select foreign buyers at the Berlinale and plan to attach a sales agent to shop the pic.